UTSA, UIW to clash on football field for first time in 2019

The UTSA and UIW football programs won't play their first game against each other until 2019, but the trash talking started back in 2012.

Author:
David Flores

Published:
1:34 AM CDT July 7, 2017

Updated:
1:34 AM CDT July 7, 2017

Never one to tread softly, former UIW president Louis Agnese enjoyed taking jabs at the UTSA football program.

He reveled in calling out the Roadrunners in 2012, when UTSA and UIW had open dates on the same weekend in October that season.

“We’ll play them on Broadway [Street] if they want,” Agnese said. “I guarantee we wouldn’t lose.”

While Agnese is no longer calling the shots for Incarnate Word, the Cardinals will get their first shot against the Roadrunners when the schools open their 2019 seasons against each other. UTSA added the game to its future schedules this week.

The Roadrunners and Cardinals will clash on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, at the Alamodome, which has been UTSA's home venue since its inaugural season in 2011. The game will be UIW’s first at the Alamodome.

UTSA has also added LSU to a future schedule, playing the Tigers in their 2020 season opener in Baton Rouge. LSU will pay UTSA $1.4 million for the game set for Sept. 5, 2020, according to FBSchedules.com.

Roadrunners coach Frank Wilson will be on familiar turf when he steps into Tiger Stadium, aka Death Valley in college football lore. Wilson was an LSU assistant coach for six seasons before succeeding Larry Coker at UTSA in January 2016.

UTSA competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) and UIW is in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). The Cardinals added football to their athletic program in 2007 and played their first season in 2009.

The Roadrunners finished 6-7 overall and 5-3 in Conference USA last season, their first under Wilson. UTSA played in its first bowl game last season, falling to New Mexico 23-20 in the New Mexico Bowl.

UIW went 3-8 overall and 3-6 in the Southland Conference last season. The Cardinals head coach is Larry Kennan, a former NFL assistant who won a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Raiders during the 1983 season.